Spark Challenge Winners
2022 Winners
1st Place - CatheSure
CatheSure is a device that detects hydrocephalus shunt malfunctions in children. Hydrocephalus is fluid buildup in the cavities of the brain. The excess fluid increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the brain. More than one million Americans suffer from the condition. The most common treatment is the surgical insertion of a drainage system or shunt. Unfortunately, these shunts have a 70 percent failure rate, with 40 percent failing in the first year — and the symptoms of a shunt failure are often vague, usually similar to the common flu. Currently, the only way for doctors to diagnose a shunt failure is with invasive and expensive brain surgery.
The CatheSure is a pressure sensor that wirelessly detects a shunt malfunction in hydrocephalus patients in under five minutes to non-invasively determine if there is a shunt blockage or malfunction. The use of the device will streamline the diagnostic process and prevent unnecessary exploratory brain surgeries, prolonged hospital stays and repeated radiation exposure.
Team Members: Kathleen Fallon, Allison Reichart, Jordan Suzanna Cole, Sarah Anne Stevens and Karly Faith Ripple
Second Place - HUMCAT
HUMCAT (Hybrid Ultraviolet Modular robot for Cabin Autonomous Treatment) incorporates Ultraviolet-C light and electrostatic spray disinfection simultaneously to autonomously disinfect commercial aircraft cabins, which reduces flight turnaround time and disinfection costs, with the goal of reestablishing customer trust in airline safety following COVID-19.
Team Members: Donny Toner, Kenneth Graham, Rachel Green, Zach Hubbarth and David Nurminen
Third Place - Apply-Away
Apply-Away is an online job application manager that allows people to better track/manage job applications.
Team Members: Parth Patel and Rick Kakanou
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2021 Winners
1st Place - Nature's Gift
Nature’s Gift is a reusable tampon applicator that will be cheaper and more comfortable to use than its competitors and help keep waste out of landfills. It would include an insertion sheath and rod made of hygienic material. The product would cost $25 and come in two sizes to accommodate cotton inserts with various levels of absorbency, ranging from light to ultra. Nature’s Gift was also selected to represent Clemson University in the 2021 ACC InventurePrize Competition, and competed against entrepreneurial teams from across the ACC.
Team Members: Claudia Sisk and Marissa Jansen
2nd Place - Third Bar: Victuals
Milan Shah, Vineeth Sama and Anish Chaluvadi won second place for their product, Third Bar: Victuals.
3rd Place - NewsChord
Parth Patel took the third-place prize for his product, NewsChord.
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2019 Winners
1st Place - Freedom Fence
Freedom Fence is the first pet containment system that allows a user to create a completely custom boundary for the pet wherever they would like, as large as they require, and it is completely portable. This device will completely revolutionize the way people manage their pets’ lives.
The Freedom Fence is designed with the suburban and rural consumer in mind and also anyone who enjoys taking their pets camping, hiking, or to similar activities. It consists of a dog collar for tracking the animal’s location/activity levels and a cellphone application to control the fence parameters and the dog collar. Not only can you create a perimeter around where you live or vacation, but you could also use it as a temporary boundary at a campsite or around a hiking trail.
2nd Place - Mailroom
Instead of waiting around all day for your package or dealing with porch pirates, send it to a Mailroom near you. Mailrooms are trusted small businesses in your neighborhood that are available throughout the day to receive your package so you can pick it up whenever you’re free! For just $2.50 you can guarantee the safety of your package, and pick it up whenever is convenient for you.
3rd Place - Telemetry
Telemetry is a framework that allows small business owners to quickly develop chatbots for their customer service systems. We are a Software as a Service (SAAS) company that aims to reduce call time for small business with the intention of reducing business costs overall. Our chatbot leverages existing technology to create phone-based chatbots that are quantifiably better than other traditionally used customer service interaction models.
